Mayor institutes diversity training policy

Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll today mandated annual diversity training for all current city employees and new hires.

The moves comes after an incident at the Syracuse Fire Department involving a white firefighter recruit who tied a noose and showed it to five other firefighters, including a black woman.

The diversity training will address race and gender discrimination and sexual harassment in city government.

The mayor also announced immediate implementation of a standardized procedure for notifying the Personnel Department of workplace discrimination involving race, gender, disability, harassment, sexual harassment, religion, national origin and sexual orientation.